Concrete Pit Research Articles

Twenty nine years of experience with physical modelling of geotechnical problems in port structures

At present, centrifuge model testing has become an important tool for investigation of complex geotechnical natures. In 1980, the Port and Harbour Research Institute (PHRI) constructed the Mark I geotechnical centrifuge, whose effective radius was 3.8 m. Since then, the PHRI carried out many tests on fundamental and practical research projects. Unfortunately, since 1989, undesirable vibrations of the concrete pit floor had frequently occurred during the operation of the Mark I centrifuge. Therefore the maximum operative acceleration had to be limited below 50 g for safety reason, which in fact led to serious limitations to research projects to be studied. Consequently, the PHRI had decided to construct a new centrifuge, namely the Mark II. Based on the statistical studies on the actual operation, the major dimensions and capacities of the new centrifuge was decided to be the same as the Mark I. In 1989, the PHRI had started the construction and completed in 1994. In 2001, the PHRI became an independent administrative institution in the administrative reorganization of Japanese Government, and the name of the institute was changed to the Port and Airport Research Institute (PARI). The PHRI and the PARI have conducted more than 1,300 centrifuge operations on various research subjects mainly regarding to ground improvements. Some of them were related to fundamental research topics, while the research subject also included practical research projects associated with specific prototypes. The test results have been applied and reflected to the constructions of various port, harbor and airport facilities in Japan and overseas. This report briefly reviews the summary of the Mark I and the Mark II geotechnical centrifuge facilities and the centrifuge operations experienced in 29 years. Some research subjects studied so far are reviewed to demonstrate usefulness of this modelling technique and the ability of the centrifuge facilities.

On-farm phosphorus budget: Model to predict yearly phosphorus contents in manure of dairy herds

In order to reduce soil phosphorus (P) saturation, it is essential to assess the amount of manure P on cultivated soil. The purpose of this study was to estimate yearly herd manure P outputs from production and feeding records with a model based on replacement and dairy animals. The model predicts manure P based on P ingested by dairy cows (kg yr-1), P secreted in milk (kg yr-1), P in calf at birth (kg yr-1), and the number of first-lactation cows. The relationship between first-lactation cows and heifers was established; there were 1.3 ± 0.05 heifers for each first-lactation cow. Manure P from heifers was then obtained by fitting the model to manure P accumulated in concrete pits of 12 farms, measured over two 6-mo periods at 1 yr intervals. The model added 10.6 ± 4.6 kg of P for each first-lactation cow to predict the yearly P output of 1.3 heifers. Ratios between P harvested as feed and P predicted in manure were calculated in 1133 herds. High ratios were obtained in herds with less customized concentrate (P < 0.001), more harvested grain and silage (P < 0.001) on farm and larger size of herd (P < 0.001) with more milk (P < 0.001) and lower calf production (P < 0.001). Decreasing purchased customized concentrates and increasing the amount of silage fed to animals are valid options to reduce non-point-source P pollution. Key words: Dairy herds, manure, phosphorus, model, reproductive efficiency

Emissions of Ammonia, Hydrogen Sulfide, and Odor before, during, and after Slurry Removal from a Deep-Pit Swine Finisher

It is a common practice in the midwestern United States to raise swine in buildings with under-floor slurry storage systems designed to store manure for up to one year. These so-called “deep-pit” systems are a concentrated source for the emissions of ammonia (NH3), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), and odors. As part of a larger six-state research effort (U.S. Department of Agriculture-Initiative for Future Agriculture and Food Systems Project, “Aerial Pollutant Emissions from Confined Animal Buildings”), real-time NH3 and H2S with incremental odor emission data were collected for two annual slurry removal events. For this study, two 1000-head deep-pit swine finishing facilities in central Iowa were monitored with one-year storage of slurry maintained in a 2.4 m-deep concrete pit (or holding tank) below the animal-occupied zone. Results show that the H2S emission, measured during four independent slurry removal events over two years, increased by an average of 61.9 times relative to the before-removal H2S emission levels. This increase persisted during the agitation process of the slurry that on average occurred over an 8-hr time period. At the conclusion of slurry agitation, the H2S emission decreased by an average of 10.4 times the before-removal emission level. NH3 emission during agitation increased by an average of 4.6 times the before-removal emission level and increased by an average of 1.5 times the before-removal emission level after slurry removal was completed. Odor emission increased by a factor of 3.4 times the before-removal odor emission level and decreased after the slurry-removal event by a factor of 5.6 times the before-removal emission level. The results indicate that maintaining an adequate barn ventilation rate regardless of animal comfort demand is essential to keeping gas levels inside the barn below hazardous levels.

Infectious Swine Hepatitis E Virus Is Present in Pig Manure Storage Facilities on United States Farms, but Evidence of Water Contamination Is Lacking

Fresh feces, manure slurry (from earthen lagoons and/or concrete pits), and drinking and surface water samples were collected from 28 pig farms in the Midwestern United States. All samples were tested for hepatitis E virus (HEV) RNA by reverse transcription-PCR. Seven of 28 farms had fecal samples that contained HEV. Of 22 farms where pit samples were accessible, 15 contained HEV, and of 8 farms that had lagoons, 3 contained HEV. The highest virus titers were 10 and 10(3) genome equivalents per 60 ml of manure slurry in lagoon and pit samples, respectively. None of the water samples tested HEV positive. To determine the infectivity of the HEV found in the positive farm 19 lagoon (designated L19) or farm 12 pit (designated P12) samples, pigs were inoculated either intravenously (n = 3) or orally (n = 3) with the L19 or P12 manure slurry. Four pigs inoculated intravenously with prototype swine HEV served as positive controls. All positive-control pigs shed HEV in feces and 3 of 4 developed anti-HEV antibodies. Two pigs in the intravenously inoculated P12 group shed HEV in feces, and one of the pigs seroconverted to anti-HEV antibodies. None of the pigs in the negative-control, L19 oral, L19 intravenous, or P12 oral group shed HEV in feces. The findings indicate that HEV found in pig manure slurry was infectious when inoculated intravenously. Pit manure slurry is a potential source of HEV infection and for contamination of the environment. Contamination of drinking or surface water with HEV was not found on or near the pig farms.

Upgrading Petroleum Terminal Separators Using Coalescing Plates

In 1999, a project was instituted to replace two oil-water separators at Mobil de Colombia’s terminal facilities in Cartagena, Colombia in order to bring the facility into compliance with environmental law. The separators were concrete in-ground pits equipped with rudimentary baffles and skimmers, as well as built-in tanks for accumulation of separated oil. They processed water from equipment washing, as well as from rainwater runoff. Inlet to the separators was by gravity flow sewers. It was suggested that it might be possible to inexpensively upgrade the performance of the existing separators using multiple angle coalescing plates instead of providing above-ground steel separators. This would also avoid the additional cost of pumps and utilities to pump the oily water into the proposed new separators. The existing pit separators were evaluated using a proprietary computer program and it was determined that the existing pits were large enough to meet the national environmental regulations for effluent oil content if fitted with multiple angle coalescing

Application of concrete to the treatment and disposal of radioactive waste in Japan

Low level radioactive waste will be disposed at the Rokkasho site in Aomori Prefecture in Japan. During the treatment, storage and disposal of the radioactive waste, concrete is used and will be used for various purposes. For this reason a lot of research & development has been carried out on concrete at various institutes, universities and manufactures in Japan. This paper presents the present state of application of concrete to treatment, storage and disposal of low level radioactive waste in Japan. In the 2nd section, the electric power supply and the kinds and volumes of radioactive waste from nuclear power plants in Japan are described. In the 3rd section, the applications of concrete to the treatment of radioactive waste are described. These are solidification with cement and containers made by various mortars and concretes. The application of concrete to disposal structures are presented in the 4th section; these are research on the durabity of concrete under disposal site condition, research on the filling the concrete pit with 200 1 drum packed cement solidified wastes by prepacked concreting methods, and so on. And this section describes also the outlines of the low level radioactive disposal system at the Rokkasho site.

Modeling of release of radionuclides from an engineered disposal facility for shallow-land disposal of low-level radioactive wastes

The computer code, ENBAR-1, for the simulation of radionuclide releases from an engineered disposal facility has been developed to evaluate the source term for subsequent migration of radionuclides in and through a natural barrier. The system considered here is that a waste package (waste form and container) is placed, together with backfill materials, into a concrete pit as a disposal unit for shallow-land disposal of low-level radioactive wastes. The code developed includes the following modules: water penetration into a concrete pit, corrosion of a drum as a container, leaching of radionuclides from a waste form, migration of radionuclides in backfill materials, release of radionuclides from the pit. The code has the advantage of its simplicity of operation and presentation while still allowing comprehensive evaluation of each element of an engineered disposal facility to be treated. The performance and source term of the facility might be readily estimated with a few key parameters to define the problem.

Positioning device for vessels

A positioning device has been manufactured and commissioned for tilting vertical enameled vessels to the horizontal position after assembly and testing and for transporting the vessels to the painting and packing locations. The device consists of a rotating frame with a rectangular recess and base plates on which the supports are mounted. The frame rests on four rollers held in the concrete foundation pit. The drive unit is mounted at the bottom of the pit and consists of an electric motor, reduction gear box, and a reversible cable winch. When the vessel is in the vertical position it is prevented from falling by two chain clamps which can be attached to the lifting lugs of the vessel and also adjusted in the vertical plane. The positioning device is operated from a control panel located nearby. Commissioning of the device helped to avoid damage to the enamel coating of the vessels.

EASILY CONSTRUCTED, ECONOMICAL SEAWATER INTAKE AND SUPPLY SYSTEM

AbstractA water intake system was designed and installed in Admiralty Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington. The dual system consisted of polyvinylchloride (PVC) pipes, a concrete pit and pumps located on shore at zero tide; and cables attached laterally to the pipelines and terminally between a shoreward anchor and to a seaward intake sled held in place with an 1800 kg Dansforth anchor. The overall construction costs were much lower than those for concrete‐lined ductile iron pipe. Nearly three years after its construction, this system has withstood tides and storms without apparent adverse effect. Its application to lakes or rivers is equally possible.

THE SEVESO ACCIDENT: ITS NATURE, EXTENT AND CONSEQUENCES

The accident which occurred during the production of TCP at Seveso. Italy, was possibly caused by an unforeseeable exothermic reaction with increase of temperature, slow decomposition of the reaction mass, formation of gas and rise in pressure. The nature of the reaction is still unknown and will be investigated further. The detection and measurement of TCDD by the Company's analysts on material collected at the site of the accident have guided measures for the protection of the population and the land and for the prevention of further damage. Chloracne, the skin lesion indicating a TCDD exposure, appearing mainly in a small segment of the population, has been generally of mild degree and inclined to rapid and complete healing. Incidence or severity of adolescent acne and of the current skin pathology have not been affected. Hepatotoxicity, neurological findings or deranged porphyrin metabolism have not been observed in the chloracne cases. Pregnancy, foetal development, growth of the new-born, immunoresponse, rate of chromosome aberrations, functions of the neurological system, haematological and hepatic conditions, morbidity and mortality have been surveyed in the exposed population. So far the pathology related to these parameters has remained within the range which is current for the population of this region and could not be correlated to the exposure to TCDD. Four per cent of the domestic animals living in the contaminated zones died spontaneously, 99.64% of these being small animals. The remaining animals (77,716) were slaughtered as a preventive measure to protect the food chain. The analysis of TCDD tissue levels revealed that the rather large amount did not necessarily correspond to anatomical or functional lesions. The elimination of TCDD from the body in small as well as large animals indicated that, if TCDD is removed from the diet, all animals can be reintroduced into the food chain after a suitable recovery period. As regards the crops and the land, the deposited chemicals had practically no effect on the flora. About 80% of the TCDD adhered to foliage, grass and crops for several weeks until it was transferred to the soil by the rain. Field and greenhouse trials have shown that TCDD does not leach significantly beyond a depth of 20 cm in the soil and that its 50% breakdown in the Seveso soil takes between 9 and 12 months. Only fractions of the TCDD in the soil can be found in the vegetation and fruit growing in the contaminated area. Decontamination could have been rapidly achieved immediately after the accident either by collecting and disposing of the vegetation or by the spraying of an H donor. Today the area which is still fenced-in could be made accessible by removing the contaminated soil layers and burying them in a concrete pit. The natural course of the breakdown would take at least 6–8 yr.

The Effects of Air and/or Heat on the Rate of Accumulation of Solids in Indoor Manure Digestion Tanks (Indoor Lagoons)

THE concept of the “Indoor Lagoon” for poultry manure storage is a very recent one. Adams and Owings (1961), installed a concrete pit with 16 inches of water under slat floors. They reported (1962) 11.7 percent dry matter (D.M.) accumulation after 16 months use. A solution carrying this percentage of solids can easily be handled by diaphragm type pumps and therefore cleaning can be accomplished hydraulically. Goodwin and Adams (1962) conducted taste and smell panels comparing eggs gathered from the lagoon house with eggs from a litter-floor pen. A slight odor was detected on the shells of the unwashed eggs from the lagoon house and none from the same eggs washed or stored under refrigeration for one week. Odor of similar intensity but different quality was also detected on dirty egg shells from the litter house. Broken out eggs from both houses, however, did not have any detectable interior odors.

Yield Responses to Different N-P-K Levels, and Correlations With Foliar Analysis, in Sand-Culture Studies With Corn, Sugarcane, and Cotton

The layout for 28 concrete pits is described herein where sand-culture and irrigation studies under cover have been carried in Puerto Rico since 1940 with certain crops: Sugarcane, beans, corn, sweetpotatoes, and cotton. The data for 10 experiments performed with sweet corn, dent corn, sugarcane, and cotton are reported. These data included N-P-K contents of the respective leaves at different crop ages and yields obtained by varying the N or P or K levels from deficient to sufficient values, but keeping other major and minor nutrients constant. These experiments were important in showing that foliar contents of the major nutrients at specific crop ages can be used to predict or correlate with relative yield values. These correlations are not generally obtained with phosphorous and potassium in field experiments because the initial available phosphorus and potassium contents of the soil are usually high.

Natural-flow and Gas-lift Experiments and Apparatus

Petroleum engineers generally are of the opinion that the flow conditionand, therefore, the formulas that apply to the flow of oil and gas in long pipelines differ in many ways from flow conditions in oil wells. One of the reasonswhy the formulas in common use for pipe-line flow do not correctly apply to oilwells is that t he flow lines arc vertical and not horizontal. Another factorto be considered is that the fluid is a mixture of oil and gas and that thephysical characteristics of these two components are affected differently bychanging conditions of pressure and temperature during upward flow. Realizing the need for accurate data on flow in vertical pipes under conditionscaused both by natural flow and the gas-lift, the U. S. Bureau of Mines hasinstalled equipment at the Petroleum Experiment Station, Bartlesville, Okla., for the purpose of studying this problem. In addition a study will be made ofthe comparative effects of different natural-flow and gas-lift methods ofproducing oil on ultimate production from reservoir sands. Experimental Equipment The experimental equipment consists of a regular oil-field steel derrick, alarge pressure tank installed in a concrete pit beneath the derrick floor, compressors and pumps, gas separators and absorbers, metering and controldevices, and the necessary pipe connections. The crown-block level representsthe derrick floor at an oil well, and the "producing sand? is the pressuretank below the derrick floor. The difference in elevation between thecrown-block level and the tank is 90 ft. Figs. 1, 2 and 3 show the constructionand exterior arrangement of the equipment. The success of the experiment will of course depend largely upon the accuracyof the oil and gas measurements and the temperature and pressuredeterminations.

The Armor-Plate and Gun-Forging Plant of the U. S. Navy Department at South Charleston, W. Va.

Abstract The magnitude of such a project as the establishment of the Navy-owned, built and operated Naval Ordnance Plant at South Charleston, W. Va., has made it impossible for the author to give details on all points of the development of the plant. He describes briefly the establishment of the projectile plant and preliminary steps leading up to the actual construction of the armor-plate and gun-forging plant, a general description of which is the main object of the paper. The general layout of the plant and transportation facilities are covered and then the author passes to a more detailed discussion of the unusual features of design and construction. Among these are the arrangement of the stockyard alongside the open-hearth building, the 30-ton electric furnaces for duplexing, the electric traveling cranes to carry 400,000-lb. ingots, the original “H”-type of forge shop and treatment plant combined, the 14,000-ton steam-intensified hydraulic press, the twenty 15 ft. wide Carbottom furnaces, the machine shop with three 106 ft. wide aisles, and the gun treatment building, the high portion of which contains a 75-ton crane of 104 ft, span on rails 165 ft. above the floor level which serves a 10 by 105 ft. high electric-treatment furnace placed in a concrete pit 55 ft. deep. The 23 electric traveling cranes, twenty of which are 75-ton or larger and three of 250 tons capacity, are discussed. The 25,000-kw. electric substations, the 6500-hp. boiler plant and the 25,000,000-gal. reservoir are also discussed briefly. The paper concludes by summarizing the various steps in the development, outlining the organization of the project, which was handled entirely within the Navy Department, giving in round numbers construction costs, and reviewing briefly the progress of construction of the plant which is now substantially completed.